The invention relates to a method of making a shape and more particularly to a method of forming titanium aluminide shapes utilizing an arc spray to form the desired titanium aluminide intermetallic compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,374 describes a method for fabricating an improved titanium aluminum alloy composite consisting of at least one high strength, high stiffness filament or fiber embedded in a titanium-aluminum base alloy matrix which comprises the steps of providing a rapidly solidified foil made of the titanium-aluminum base alloy, fabricating a preform consisting of alternating layers of the rapidly solidified foil and the filamentary material, and applying heat and pressure to consolidate the preform, wherein consolidation is carried out at a temperature below the beta-transus temperature of the alloy. The techniques suggested for producing rapidly solidified foil, includes Chill Block Melt Spinning, planar Flow Casting, Melt Overflow and Pendant Drop Melt Extraction. Such production methods are costly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,625 describes arc metal spraying used to spray liquid metal onto an array of high strength fibers that have been previously wound onto a large drum or mandrel contained inside a controlled atmosphere chamber. This chamber is first evacuated to remove gaseous contaminants and then back filled with a neutral gas up to atmospheric pressure. This process is used to produce a large size metal matrix composite monotape.